Excellent food; terrific service. High quality fish and meat. Everything was fresh and prepared by a chef that knows what he is doing. We had a wonderful birthday dinner here.
(5)
Tish S.
Dined at Cuvee for the second time. This was a very pleasant dining experience. Staff were all very attentive,but yet not intrusive. Menu was varied & interesting. Entrees each have a slight twist to make it different from most other restaurants. Wine list is exceptional. Food ,service & ambience all above average.Well worth a visit. jerseytish
(4)
Sandra G.
Nice people, good wine and great food. It was our first visit and we really enjoyed ourselves. We went early before the crowd which was a good idea since it was our first time and we needed to find out how they do things. The bartender waited on us and we asked a lot of questions. He was very nice, very helpful and impressed my son with his knowledge of the wines. They have 104 botles for tastings. It was great fun.
(5)
N B.
Was referred to this place by a close friend. We took him and his wife for his birthday. I have to say it was a nice restaurant but a bit inconsistent on what they had. I would expect a place like this to have lobster which they didn't. At least that night they didn't. Service was excellent although a bit lax in refilling water. Overall I would come back for special occasions. Dr lance Kim has a nice place for sure.
(4)
Diana M.
Wow. In ocala. In a land of cows, farms, and run down motels, there is a shining star. This place is tops for me in Ocala. Trendy decor and an upscale crowd. The servers are very knowledgeable about the wine list. If you like wine and love great food, this is the PLACE to go.
(5)
Patrick M.
The best restaurant in Ocala, with the best wine selection.
(5)
Michael W.
Haute cuisine and fine wine dispensed from Slurpee-like vending machines raise questions about the evening's brow height. The check provides welcome clarity.
(4)
Jennifer H.
Very nice place to go for wine tastings or wine pairings with course dinners. Great staff and service also.
(5)
M B.
We were driving from Sarasota to Jacksonville and wanted to stop somewhere midway. We came across this gem and were blown away. I was greeted with a red rose and the atmosphere was very upscale. Our server, Tarlton, was exquisite. He explained things in detail and had every ingredient memorized. He guided us through our experience. There are 100 wines that are dispensed in 3 portions and we enjoyed trying a lot of different wines during our visit. We got the saint Andre cheese which was amazing and at the perfect temp. We ended up splitting the 5oz steak which was perfect for us... Especially since the bread is worth filling up on and I wanted to save room for dessert. The steak was cooked perfectly mid rare and the sauces were awesome. I really liked the reduction which reminded me of a melted lollipop. We had the berry cheese cake for dessert. There was a pistachio or nut paste on the dish that was not a good component but aside from that it was great. Our only complaint is the floors were extremely sticky. It was gross walking around to get our wine throughout the meal. We would stop again during one of our monthly road trips!
(5)
Tamara A.
I have wanted to go to this place for over a year and I never did. Now I know I was not missing anything. I took a friend who is visiting from a foreign country out to donner. I ordered drinks, which were fine but nothing to write home about. I ordered that cheese flights, as soup course, 3 tapas, and 3 entrees. Our waiter brought all of the items accepte entrees at one time. he laid down the soup, the tapas, and I told him why did you bring this all at once. He just smiled and said that yes he should have done courses. SO HE WALKS AWAY. We had an no soup spoons but we had soup. We had three tapas just sitting getting cold. So I had to get up and find a manager. He looked at the oysters rockafeller and started apologising about how they were cooked wrong. I did not know any better. He was apologetic and promised to make sure our dishes were done right. We had 2 pescadore and for 38 dollars a plate there were 3 prawns and 2 scallops. The lobster pieces were the size of a marble and I was able to find 2. In all I found Cuvee to be a waste of my time and 264.00 dollars was flushed away. I wanted a special night with our family friend and intend just bot bad, not even marginal. Cuvee... get your act together.
(1)
William S.
Yet again, a wonderful dinner experience. Best place in Ocala for a business meeting or a romantic dinner.
(5)
Marcee Q.
My husband and I wanted to take my sister and best friend out for a nice meal and had enjoyed eating here a few times over a year ago. DOWNHILL is all I can say now! Two different bottles of wine we sampled had turned rancid and our scallops had been soaked in ammonia to keep them from turning! They smelled awful and tasted just as bad! The tapas were mediocre at best with no seasoning on the lamb. The manager did not offer any discount or take the cost of the wine off the ticket but just offered more scallops which we declined so he brought three little shrimps instead. Great waiter but you could tell he was sort of used to covering for the restaurants shortcomings. Needless to say we will not be back especially since there are much better options in the area!
(2)
Sue M.
We were greeted by an uppity hostess who said reservations are preferred; I'm sorry this is Ocala on a Thursday, is it not? We asked for an outside table. After having sat two parties ahead of us and ten minutes later with not table, we opted to dine at Marks Prime. Delicious choice! We tried to give our business to Cuvee but their loss.
(1)
Brian S.
For Ocala fine dining it was very good.. The wine dispensers were acting up a little bit though.. A few were just empty I think. Got crab cake appetizer which everybody seems to like, it was good. Also got a big steak which I enjoyed as well. I will most definitely be coming back.
For someone kinda jaded like me who has been there and done that to be so delighted and unable to breathe from excitement over the wine system at Cuvee - is saying alot! I have never, ever seen such a set up anywhere. It is fantastic. The photos I took do not do it justice. You have 104 wines available to taste in 1 oz, 3 oz or a full glass pour. You get a "charge card" and you are in charge of your drinking adventure around the restaurant. And, you've got Riedel glasses, which no other reviewer has mentioned and I FULLY appreciate. I was so excited I'd be walking around with both a white wine glass and a burgundy glass in my hand double pouring. If I had more hands, I'd carry around more glasses. I have never ever seen Lacryma Christi wine outside of Italy - what a treat! I could barely contain my pleasure over the Orogeny Pinot Noir and Silver Oak Cabernet - once I found those two, I stopped my tasting and just kept pouring and pouring those two. Our wine card quickly filled up to $80. To be able to partake in such fine wines, who cares about the price! I was beyond blissed out. If they opened at 11 am today, we'd be back! We ordered the mushroom flat bread and the ahi appetizer, both of which were fantastic. And, took a cheese course option of melted cheddar cheese with pungent dijon mustard - yummy! Then we went straight to dessert as they offer two tableside prepared options - bananas flambe and a strawberry based dished. I love tableside desserts! That used to be a regular option when dining out as a kid in upscale places and has now but virtually disappeared from menus. We will definitely be back for a proper meal. They had some nice fish options for us as well as a vegetarian risotto. Loved this place and can't believe it's in Ocala! Or rather, very glad it is in Ocala while being in the area.
(4)
Ashley B.
Most amazing food and service!! We were visiting from Miami and were blown away by the creativity and flavor combinations of the food. Everything from the brie to the pork chop was spectacular. We look forward to stopping here again on our next road trip. Not only was the food spectacular but the service was outstanding! We'd be so lucky to have a restaurant of this caliber in Miami.
(5)
Mauricio B.
This is an average restaurant. Service are very good, but the quality of the food is mediocre. One of the dishes we tried was the crab cakes, and it was a big disappointment. The dish was described as having large crab lumps, and this was not the case at all, and the taste was very weak. As far as the restaurant itself, the place looks very nice and fancy from the outside, but the decor inside and layout of the tables is not very good. They have wine dispensers all over the restaurant, which is fine if you are in a bar, but it is not ideal if your table is right next to a machine where people are walking up to to serve themselves some wine. Overall, it was not what I was expecting from a place that had very high reviews in Yelp, and is fairly expensive.
Great place for fine dining in Ocala, FL! Massive wine selection and a good amount of beers on tap as well. Food was delicious...portions could be a little bit larger, but understandable for fine dining. Great atmosphere and service is really good.
(5)
Laurie C.
Great food! The wine system is an adventure. Nice atmosphere . Was so good to be able to have a quiet conversation over a nice meal. Our waiter, Art, was perfect! Will return.
(5)
Jay K.
Such a delight to find a rare Gem in unlikely place in Ocala Florida. The tone is spot-on and they are making guests feel welcome. About a year back, I'd thought they were resting on their laurels but now I see a renewed commitment to excellence, in both the food and the service. It certainly is not the most pretentious nor the most expensive but based on the quality of dining experience it crosses the finish line well before the pack and by more than a few lengths. It's setting and decor are elegant and understated and the food and service are superb. In my book, Cuvee is the ultimate winner.
(5)
Arden T.
The one and only fine dinning in Ocala has now turned to HORRIBLE! The duck was cold and very bland.. The cheese platter was nothing more than the toppings used on the salads. Changing management was a bad move. STAY FAR AWAY! Then to top our night off our 50.00 wine card we had to purchase would not work so Jay manually poured 2 glasses and asked for 40.00 cash.. Which I handed him. Got our bill and the 40.00 was on there. The manager came over and I explained.. I even ask her to view the camera above the wine he poured and she would see. She would not do that. Said we had to pay! What a terrible manager. Unless you like typical banquet food...STEALING STAFF and treated like a criminal.. AVIOD THIS PLACE! It won't be around long with the new owners and staff!
(1)
Patty H.
Ok. We are not cheap but some things just need to make sense. This place could be way cooler if you could taste a half dozen different wines for a set tasting fee since they do boast you can taste 104 different wines by using only a swipe of a programmed wine tasting card. The automatic wine tasting machines are very fun and sophisticated, however, in order to figure out what your pallet is in the mood for, you have to pay $4.00 and WAY up for a 1 oz. tasting. We tried four 1 oz tastes and we were already at $40.00 without even getting a full glass. Two of the wines we tasted were rancid. Honestly, we lived in wine country and you know when the wine has gone bad. So enough about the wine, I ended up with a vodka tonic. Oh...the Pinot that we really did like they ran out of. I ordered the pescataro with raspberry risotto. The shrimp and lobster tail was way over cooked and chewy...a sure sign of not being fresh. The risotto was so mushy making it hard to identify I was eating risotto. Keep in mind a restaurant advertising $$$ means it better be perfect for the price. I guess coming from Santa Barbara one gets spoiled as most of the restaurants there were $$$ and $$$$. My husband had the pork chops with purple potatoes. Chops were tough and the tators were flavorless. This place has so much potential but they are doing it wrong and so not worth it for the price. I must say the service was exceptional.
(2)
Chris B.
No compromising. Welcoming. Efficient. Relaxing. Excellent staff providing excellent service, Celina most recently, and excellent food.
Good wine. Food was not good. There were 8 of us & no one enjoyed their meal. Small potions. Some food over cooked, others under cooked. Worse dinner we've had in a long time.
(1)
Nicholette M.
Best restaurant in Ocala. I had no idea Ocala was capable of having such a swanky establishment. If you're accustomed to fine dining.....this is as close as you will get in north central florida. The drinks were strong ( plus) and our server was amazing. He actually sliced my lamb for me ( which was amazing). I recommend the crab cakes as an appetizer. For dessert, i wanted the bananas foster but they were out of bananas. So he did a strawberry version of the dish instead. It was deliciously paired with vanilla ice cream. All in all, i loved this place. Very upscale and worth every penny!
(4)
Brett R.
Great place to go for special nights. Is really nice to have wonderful gourmet food here and again. I always love it! Great experience.
(5)
Carlos I.
Stopped in here while visiting my folks. Definitely the nicest place I've been to in Ocala (and this is based on my having lived there for several years). Very large wine selection but the prices were ridiculous! The food was delicious and the servers will gladly help you pair a wine with your meal if you aren't sure what to order. All in all a great place to go if you want to have some nice (but expensive/overpriced) wine and a good meal.
Just had a great "romance" dinner for two that included an awesome calamari cake appetizer and pair of marrow crusted filets. Food was great and service by Dave at the bar was incredible! Will definitely be going back!
(5)
Tres T.
I was in Ocala on business and on our first night here we were blown away by the amazing food, service, and decor that we came back on our second (and last) night in town. Service was top notch. Everyone who works there was friendly and attentive (and funny!) frmo the moment we walked in but our servers on each night, Ray and Mark were also extremely knowledgeable and helpful. The food was delicious, everything from the salad to the filet, mango chicken, just so incredibly fresh and perfectly done. We had the banana foster on one night and then creme brulee the next. The wine machines were a first for us but we had a blast trying out the various kinds of wine. Prices were reasonable for an upscale restaurant, especially compared to what one would normally spend at an average restaurant in Manhattan. I wish a restaurant like this existed in my area. Maybe it does but the non pretentious, sincere and friendly service is certainly what sets Cuvee apart. Dining here was a breath of fresh air! I can't wait to come back.
(5)
Robin N.
There are a lot of wonderful things about Ocala -- it depends what you like! And for most people, Cuvee is one of them. On the night my husband and I dined there, the service was slow to start off, but our busy waiter was very attentive once he got around to us. The Reisling was good, but we were really more interested in the food. We ordered calamari appetizer, and while we loved the twist of adding pepper slices, the calamari was tough. Dinner was a seafood orzo dish. It was good, although the lobster and scallops seemed overpowered by the pasta. Dessert was a creamy cheesecake -- very tasty! Perhaps because Cuvee has such a great reputation I expected more in terms of the food.
(2)
Anne G.
We stopped in Ocala on our way to St. Petersburg overnight. Looked on Yelp for Wine Bars. This was a perfect pick. Great wine, great food and great service. Wish it was our neighborhood restaurant!!! Next time we are in town, this is a must. Make reservations! it's popular.... :)
(5)
Crystal Realtor Keller Williams M.
Ocala has very few really NICE restaurants and this is at the top of the list. Ambiance is great and the food is even "greater"! Customer service plus. Truly intimate setting, they even have a fire place! Private dining rooms if you have a group. I have eaten at many restaurants all over the world and even if you do not drink wine you can enjoy the evening! Full bar and unique wine choices from all over. You select your wine and the amount you want with your wine card. Make it a MUST go to!
(5)
vivian m.
What a fun and delicious experience! The wine list is extensive and Jesse, our server, went out of his way to provide excellent service. The decor is beautiful. The food is amazing ... I think the gold standard of a restaurant is how well they make their crab cakes ... And the crab cakes here are probably the best I've ever had.
(5)
Christina L.
Went there for my bday while in town for a wedding. We had a private room and our server, Dana, was awesome! I was surprised to see such a place in Ocala. Great concept! The atmosphere is cool and hip and being able to taste until you find your perfect wine is really fun. It adds up quick, but it's worth it. The food was good, but I expected a little better given the feel of the place. They need to refine the plates a bit. It sounds great and is probably better than anything else in town, but the plates could use more of a chef's touch - not a cook's touch. We had a blast and I will definitely go again next time I'm in town.
(5)
Mike M.
Very nice meal and service with the extra feature of a great wine list and a high tech debit card that allows you to serve yourself and sample.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : No Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : No Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Dressy Ambience : Classy Noise Level : Average Music : Background Good For Dancing : No Alcohol : Full Bar Happy Hour : No Smoking : No Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Mar P.
Excellent food; terrific service. High quality fish and meat. Everything was fresh and prepared by a chef that knows what he is doing. We had a wonderful birthday dinner here.
(5)Tish S.
Dined at Cuvee for the second time. This was a very pleasant dining experience. Staff were all very attentive,but yet not intrusive. Menu was varied & interesting. Entrees each have a slight twist to make it different from most other restaurants. Wine list is exceptional. Food ,service & ambience all above average.Well worth a visit. jerseytish
(4)Sandra G.
Nice people, good wine and great food. It was our first visit and we really enjoyed ourselves. We went early before the crowd which was a good idea since it was our first time and we needed to find out how they do things. The bartender waited on us and we asked a lot of questions. He was very nice, very helpful and impressed my son with his knowledge of the wines. They have 104 botles for tastings. It was great fun.
(5)N B.
Was referred to this place by a close friend. We took him and his wife for his birthday. I have to say it was a nice restaurant but a bit inconsistent on what they had. I would expect a place like this to have lobster which they didn't. At least that night they didn't. Service was excellent although a bit lax in refilling water. Overall I would come back for special occasions. Dr lance Kim has a nice place for sure.
(4)Diana M.
Wow. In ocala. In a land of cows, farms, and run down motels, there is a shining star. This place is tops for me in Ocala. Trendy decor and an upscale crowd. The servers are very knowledgeable about the wine list. If you like wine and love great food, this is the PLACE to go.
(5)Patrick M.
The best restaurant in Ocala, with the best wine selection.
(5)Michael W.
Haute cuisine and fine wine dispensed from Slurpee-like vending machines raise questions about the evening's brow height. The check provides welcome clarity.
(4)Jennifer H.
Very nice place to go for wine tastings or wine pairings with course dinners. Great staff and service also.
(5)M B.
We were driving from Sarasota to Jacksonville and wanted to stop somewhere midway. We came across this gem and were blown away. I was greeted with a red rose and the atmosphere was very upscale. Our server, Tarlton, was exquisite. He explained things in detail and had every ingredient memorized. He guided us through our experience. There are 100 wines that are dispensed in 3 portions and we enjoyed trying a lot of different wines during our visit. We got the saint Andre cheese which was amazing and at the perfect temp. We ended up splitting the 5oz steak which was perfect for us... Especially since the bread is worth filling up on and I wanted to save room for dessert. The steak was cooked perfectly mid rare and the sauces were awesome. I really liked the reduction which reminded me of a melted lollipop. We had the berry cheese cake for dessert. There was a pistachio or nut paste on the dish that was not a good component but aside from that it was great. Our only complaint is the floors were extremely sticky. It was gross walking around to get our wine throughout the meal. We would stop again during one of our monthly road trips!
(5)Tamara A.
I have wanted to go to this place for over a year and I never did. Now I know I was not missing anything. I took a friend who is visiting from a foreign country out to donner. I ordered drinks, which were fine but nothing to write home about. I ordered that cheese flights, as soup course, 3 tapas, and 3 entrees. Our waiter brought all of the items accepte entrees at one time. he laid down the soup, the tapas, and I told him why did you bring this all at once. He just smiled and said that yes he should have done courses. SO HE WALKS AWAY. We had an no soup spoons but we had soup. We had three tapas just sitting getting cold. So I had to get up and find a manager. He looked at the oysters rockafeller and started apologising about how they were cooked wrong. I did not know any better. He was apologetic and promised to make sure our dishes were done right. We had 2 pescadore and for 38 dollars a plate there were 3 prawns and 2 scallops. The lobster pieces were the size of a marble and I was able to find 2. In all I found Cuvee to be a waste of my time and 264.00 dollars was flushed away. I wanted a special night with our family friend and intend just bot bad, not even marginal. Cuvee... get your act together.
(1)William S.
Yet again, a wonderful dinner experience. Best place in Ocala for a business meeting or a romantic dinner.
(5)Marcee Q.
My husband and I wanted to take my sister and best friend out for a nice meal and had enjoyed eating here a few times over a year ago. DOWNHILL is all I can say now! Two different bottles of wine we sampled had turned rancid and our scallops had been soaked in ammonia to keep them from turning! They smelled awful and tasted just as bad! The tapas were mediocre at best with no seasoning on the lamb. The manager did not offer any discount or take the cost of the wine off the ticket but just offered more scallops which we declined so he brought three little shrimps instead. Great waiter but you could tell he was sort of used to covering for the restaurants shortcomings. Needless to say we will not be back especially since there are much better options in the area!
(2)Sue M.
We were greeted by an uppity hostess who said reservations are preferred; I'm sorry this is Ocala on a Thursday, is it not? We asked for an outside table. After having sat two parties ahead of us and ten minutes later with not table, we opted to dine at Marks Prime. Delicious choice! We tried to give our business to Cuvee but their loss.
(1)Brian S.
For Ocala fine dining it was very good.. The wine dispensers were acting up a little bit though.. A few were just empty I think. Got crab cake appetizer which everybody seems to like, it was good. Also got a big steak which I enjoyed as well. I will most definitely be coming back.
(5)Lisa G.
Food was very good, however, service was lacking. Waiter seemed to have ADD and was coming and going so fast we didn't have time to ask for things. Waited a long time to get our entrée orders after we had our appetizers. One member of our party finally got up and went to the bar to get a glass of wine.
(3)Pamela J.
For someone kinda jaded like me who has been there and done that to be so delighted and unable to breathe from excitement over the wine system at Cuvee - is saying alot! I have never, ever seen such a set up anywhere. It is fantastic. The photos I took do not do it justice. You have 104 wines available to taste in 1 oz, 3 oz or a full glass pour. You get a "charge card" and you are in charge of your drinking adventure around the restaurant. And, you've got Riedel glasses, which no other reviewer has mentioned and I FULLY appreciate. I was so excited I'd be walking around with both a white wine glass and a burgundy glass in my hand double pouring. If I had more hands, I'd carry around more glasses. I have never ever seen Lacryma Christi wine outside of Italy - what a treat! I could barely contain my pleasure over the Orogeny Pinot Noir and Silver Oak Cabernet - once I found those two, I stopped my tasting and just kept pouring and pouring those two. Our wine card quickly filled up to $80. To be able to partake in such fine wines, who cares about the price! I was beyond blissed out. If they opened at 11 am today, we'd be back! We ordered the mushroom flat bread and the ahi appetizer, both of which were fantastic. And, took a cheese course option of melted cheddar cheese with pungent dijon mustard - yummy! Then we went straight to dessert as they offer two tableside prepared options - bananas flambe and a strawberry based dished. I love tableside desserts! That used to be a regular option when dining out as a kid in upscale places and has now but virtually disappeared from menus. We will definitely be back for a proper meal. They had some nice fish options for us as well as a vegetarian risotto. Loved this place and can't believe it's in Ocala! Or rather, very glad it is in Ocala while being in the area.
(4)Ashley B.
Most amazing food and service!! We were visiting from Miami and were blown away by the creativity and flavor combinations of the food. Everything from the brie to the pork chop was spectacular. We look forward to stopping here again on our next road trip. Not only was the food spectacular but the service was outstanding! We'd be so lucky to have a restaurant of this caliber in Miami.
(5)Mauricio B.
This is an average restaurant. Service are very good, but the quality of the food is mediocre. One of the dishes we tried was the crab cakes, and it was a big disappointment. The dish was described as having large crab lumps, and this was not the case at all, and the taste was very weak. As far as the restaurant itself, the place looks very nice and fancy from the outside, but the decor inside and layout of the tables is not very good. They have wine dispensers all over the restaurant, which is fine if you are in a bar, but it is not ideal if your table is right next to a machine where people are walking up to to serve themselves some wine. Overall, it was not what I was expecting from a place that had very high reviews in Yelp, and is fairly expensive.
(3)Kim S.
This was an incredible experience from the moment we walked in the door. We were greeted by a smiling hostess who showed us to our cozy table. The décor is beautiful in there--intimate and glittery at the same time. The menu was enough to satisfy anything you may fancy. For the appetizer we shared the brie that came with toast and orange marmalade. My husband ordered the duck with cherry reduction sauce, and I had the short ribs with a fancy name. Both meals were tasty and plentiful. For dessert, we couldn't decide which one to order so we ordered two. He ordered the flourless chocolate cake and I ordered the orange crème brulee. Both were fantastic. We did not do the wine card as that is not our thing, but it did look like fun. Many wines from which to choose. We will go back for another special occasion.
(5)Meg S.
Fabulous night in Ocala at Cuvée!! I decided to go to Cuvée based on previous Yelp! reviews and couldn't be happier that I did! I was in town on business and sat at the bar. Dave, who happens to be the bar manager too, helped me and was incredible! He recommended the clams and beef slider which were both absolutely delicious! The happy hour wine flowed great and I could not have asked for better service, ambiance and company! The restaurant is gorgeous. I can't wait to come back on my next trip to Ocala!
(5)Chuck P.
Great place for fine dining in Ocala, FL! Massive wine selection and a good amount of beers on tap as well. Food was delicious...portions could be a little bit larger, but understandable for fine dining. Great atmosphere and service is really good.
(5)Laurie C.
Great food! The wine system is an adventure. Nice atmosphere . Was so good to be able to have a quiet conversation over a nice meal. Our waiter, Art, was perfect! Will return.
(5)Jay K.
Such a delight to find a rare Gem in unlikely place in Ocala Florida. The tone is spot-on and they are making guests feel welcome. About a year back, I'd thought they were resting on their laurels but now I see a renewed commitment to excellence, in both the food and the service. It certainly is not the most pretentious nor the most expensive but based on the quality of dining experience it crosses the finish line well before the pack and by more than a few lengths. It's setting and decor are elegant and understated and the food and service are superb. In my book, Cuvee is the ultimate winner.
(5)Arden T.
The one and only fine dinning in Ocala has now turned to HORRIBLE! The duck was cold and very bland.. The cheese platter was nothing more than the toppings used on the salads. Changing management was a bad move. STAY FAR AWAY! Then to top our night off our 50.00 wine card we had to purchase would not work so Jay manually poured 2 glasses and asked for 40.00 cash.. Which I handed him. Got our bill and the 40.00 was on there. The manager came over and I explained.. I even ask her to view the camera above the wine he poured and she would see. She would not do that. Said we had to pay! What a terrible manager. Unless you like typical banquet food...STEALING STAFF and treated like a criminal.. AVIOD THIS PLACE! It won't be around long with the new owners and staff!
(1)Patty H.
Ok. We are not cheap but some things just need to make sense. This place could be way cooler if you could taste a half dozen different wines for a set tasting fee since they do boast you can taste 104 different wines by using only a swipe of a programmed wine tasting card. The automatic wine tasting machines are very fun and sophisticated, however, in order to figure out what your pallet is in the mood for, you have to pay $4.00 and WAY up for a 1 oz. tasting. We tried four 1 oz tastes and we were already at $40.00 without even getting a full glass. Two of the wines we tasted were rancid. Honestly, we lived in wine country and you know when the wine has gone bad. So enough about the wine, I ended up with a vodka tonic. Oh...the Pinot that we really did like they ran out of. I ordered the pescataro with raspberry risotto. The shrimp and lobster tail was way over cooked and chewy...a sure sign of not being fresh. The risotto was so mushy making it hard to identify I was eating risotto. Keep in mind a restaurant advertising $$$ means it better be perfect for the price. I guess coming from Santa Barbara one gets spoiled as most of the restaurants there were $$$ and $$$$. My husband had the pork chops with purple potatoes. Chops were tough and the tators were flavorless. This place has so much potential but they are doing it wrong and so not worth it for the price. I must say the service was exceptional.
(2)Chris B.
No compromising. Welcoming. Efficient. Relaxing. Excellent staff providing excellent service, Celina most recently, and excellent food.
(5)Joshua B.
This place earns its reputation for five star cuisine in Ocala. From the appetizer (crab cakes), to the entrée (eggplant), I came away impressed with the quality of food. Fresh ingredients and made to order, is definitely the case at this establishment. Service was top notch, and the environment set a rather upscale mood. Reservations were well taken care of. As such, I'll be recommending this place highly, for those who'd like to spare no expense on local fine dining.
(5)J H.
Good wine. Food was not good. There were 8 of us & no one enjoyed their meal. Small potions. Some food over cooked, others under cooked. Worse dinner we've had in a long time.
(1)Nicholette M.
Best restaurant in Ocala. I had no idea Ocala was capable of having such a swanky establishment. If you're accustomed to fine dining.....this is as close as you will get in north central florida. The drinks were strong ( plus) and our server was amazing. He actually sliced my lamb for me ( which was amazing). I recommend the crab cakes as an appetizer. For dessert, i wanted the bananas foster but they were out of bananas. So he did a strawberry version of the dish instead. It was deliciously paired with vanilla ice cream. All in all, i loved this place. Very upscale and worth every penny!
(4)Brett R.
Great place to go for special nights. Is really nice to have wonderful gourmet food here and again. I always love it! Great experience.
(5)Carlos I.
Stopped in here while visiting my folks. Definitely the nicest place I've been to in Ocala (and this is based on my having lived there for several years). Very large wine selection but the prices were ridiculous! The food was delicious and the servers will gladly help you pair a wine with your meal if you aren't sure what to order. All in all a great place to go if you want to have some nice (but expensive/overpriced) wine and a good meal.
(4)Steve A.
Cuvée Wine & Bistro has an interesting business plan, which combines two different concepts: a restaurant, and self-service wine dispensers. It occupies part of a former bank building, but has been redecorated in a pleasant, trendy way. High booth backs keep the noise level down, although the old farts next to us were quite rowdy. Each dining room is surrounded by rows of wine dispensers, some refrigerated for the whites, others not, for reds. There are well over 100 selections, available in 1, 2.5 or 5 ounce pours. As with other such places, you load a card with money, and then it's debited as you use the machines. We arrived at 6:30 and things were fairly quite, but the restaurant soon filled up. What's interesting about the success of the place is that it doesn't seem to be driven by all the wine dispensers that surround the dining rooms. We saw few other patrons wandering around to try different wines with each course. Instead, most either let the waiter bring them a glass of something, or ordered a bottle for the table. Still, being surrounded by all those glowing bottles probably boosts wine sales. I couldn't see the bar from where we sat, so I don't know how much tasting traffic originated there. The food was mostly very good. A cheese sampler plate offered a nice variety, and my clam appetizer was delicious. Salads were fine, and the steaks Linda and Martin had were good quality. I liked my eggplant napoleon, too. Service was excellent: attentive yet not rushing us. The wines are more fairly priced than at the other self-serve wine place I've been to. Unfortunately, of four high end wines we tried (Tapestry, a Nuits St. Georges, a Pommard, and Dominus) all were spoiled by having been open a long, long time. As evidenced by the strong geranium smell, the dispensing system can't keep them good forever. Our waiter cheerfully credited us for the wines we complained about, but they should have been removed, rather than left for the next sucker. None of the lower priced selections had this problem, and we tried many. Best QPR (quality to price ratio) was the Bell Petite Sirah. It was fun to try small tastes of many different wines with our food. We all agreed we would return.
(5)Palmer S.
Just had a great "romance" dinner for two that included an awesome calamari cake appetizer and pair of marrow crusted filets. Food was great and service by Dave at the bar was incredible! Will definitely be going back!
(5)Tres T.
I was in Ocala on business and on our first night here we were blown away by the amazing food, service, and decor that we came back on our second (and last) night in town. Service was top notch. Everyone who works there was friendly and attentive (and funny!) frmo the moment we walked in but our servers on each night, Ray and Mark were also extremely knowledgeable and helpful. The food was delicious, everything from the salad to the filet, mango chicken, just so incredibly fresh and perfectly done. We had the banana foster on one night and then creme brulee the next. The wine machines were a first for us but we had a blast trying out the various kinds of wine. Prices were reasonable for an upscale restaurant, especially compared to what one would normally spend at an average restaurant in Manhattan. I wish a restaurant like this existed in my area. Maybe it does but the non pretentious, sincere and friendly service is certainly what sets Cuvee apart. Dining here was a breath of fresh air! I can't wait to come back.
(5)Robin N.
There are a lot of wonderful things about Ocala -- it depends what you like! And for most people, Cuvee is one of them. On the night my husband and I dined there, the service was slow to start off, but our busy waiter was very attentive once he got around to us. The Reisling was good, but we were really more interested in the food. We ordered calamari appetizer, and while we loved the twist of adding pepper slices, the calamari was tough. Dinner was a seafood orzo dish. It was good, although the lobster and scallops seemed overpowered by the pasta. Dessert was a creamy cheesecake -- very tasty! Perhaps because Cuvee has such a great reputation I expected more in terms of the food.
(2)Anne G.
We stopped in Ocala on our way to St. Petersburg overnight. Looked on Yelp for Wine Bars. This was a perfect pick. Great wine, great food and great service. Wish it was our neighborhood restaurant!!! Next time we are in town, this is a must. Make reservations! it's popular.... :)
(5)Crystal Realtor Keller Williams M.
Ocala has very few really NICE restaurants and this is at the top of the list. Ambiance is great and the food is even "greater"! Customer service plus. Truly intimate setting, they even have a fire place! Private dining rooms if you have a group. I have eaten at many restaurants all over the world and even if you do not drink wine you can enjoy the evening! Full bar and unique wine choices from all over. You select your wine and the amount you want with your wine card. Make it a MUST go to!
(5)vivian m.
What a fun and delicious experience! The wine list is extensive and Jesse, our server, went out of his way to provide excellent service. The decor is beautiful. The food is amazing ... I think the gold standard of a restaurant is how well they make their crab cakes ... And the crab cakes here are probably the best I've ever had.
(5)Christina L.
Went there for my bday while in town for a wedding. We had a private room and our server, Dana, was awesome! I was surprised to see such a place in Ocala. Great concept! The atmosphere is cool and hip and being able to taste until you find your perfect wine is really fun. It adds up quick, but it's worth it. The food was good, but I expected a little better given the feel of the place. They need to refine the plates a bit. It sounds great and is probably better than anything else in town, but the plates could use more of a chef's touch - not a cook's touch. We had a blast and I will definitely go again next time I'm in town.
(5)Mike M.
Very nice meal and service with the extra feature of a great wine list and a high tech debit card that allows you to serve yourself and sample.
(5)